kbb.com confirms those numbers:

EPA Estimated Miles Per Gallon:
SVT w/2.0L Zetec Engine: City 21; Hwy 25

That is sure low for 4 cyl, hwy number is worse mileage than the regular contour w/V-6 (or even a taurus!). And you gotta buy premium and drive that ugly car to boot. Even my wife's Windstar w/3.8L has hwy rating of 23 mpg!!!

The non-svt mileage is about the same as the contour which means it is not the shape of the car:

EPA Estimated Miles Per Gallon:
ZX3 w/2.0L Zetec Engine & Manual Trans.: City 25; Hwy 34

I find the epa numbers to be pretty accurate...in all the various vehicles I have drivien, I always get about 1/2 way between the city and hwy numbers in my normal day-to-day suburban driving and about the highway number or a bit higher (depends on speed, I think) for freeway driving.


1996 Contour GL Sport, Zetec, MTX

1995 Contour GL, Zetec, MTX